Hi guys looking to get into some serious 3d shoots this year in preparation for my Western hunt this year. Question is, are their any courses with in 2 hours of Bergen county that would offer some incline, decline, and +40 yard shots? I typically do Lincoln Park every summer, which is alot of fun and simulates NJ hunts, looking for something a little bigger.
Thanks,
Tom

Well Phil Murphy has pushed me to the edge and forced me to buy a bear tag this year. In all of the years we had our on and off hunts, I never had any interest whats so ever to go out and attempt to take a bear. I just never saw myself eating an animal with paws and mostly I never wanted to deal with the circus of the mandatory check station. I honestly believe that the reason we're in this place is due to all of the unnecessary media coverage around these check stations, it's such a joke that our own wildlife agencies force us to be harassed while hiding behind some BS research, haven't they collected enough samples over the first couple of years? What are they looking to learn? It makes no sense....
In any case, I'm a strong believer in that "hunting is conservation" and that we, who have access to land that is hunt able need to continue our duty as stewards. I really hate the idea of having to deal with a down bear and the fiasco of the check station, if I'm lucky I might even make a picket sign in my own form of protest saying Phil Murphy made me do it.......
Good luck to all of you with the up coming season, be safe, aim small miss small.
Tom

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Something I learned, and I am far from an expert.
I spent 9 days spiked in the back country with my initial Spike Camp at 3 miles and I branched out from there everyday. I saw some Elk, had a chance at a great bull but the Elk Gods spared him, 2 more steps and he would of been in a clear 50 yard lane. My total pack with 9 days of food and 4 liters of water was just under 60lbs, my day pack is hovering just under 20lbs., my dry setup is at 38 lbs. I loved the idea of being away from the trail head and off the main trails running and gunning around the mountains, I quickly learned how important water is and how hard it is to find at times, and when you do find it, it tends to be 1000ft below you .... : ( So be prepared for the worst.
I ran into a group of guys at the trail head, they had 3 wall tents next to a creek with the works. When I was making my way up the mountain they were already 5 for 7 on 3 bulls and 2 cows and were there for 10 days, with another 10 left. What I gathered from them was they were living the life, sleeping on cots, eating well, never worried about water, never cold when they slept, and had the flexibility to drive all over the unit and find ELK!!!! When I got back to my truck after 9 days, the guys in the wall tents were gone, but was told by another group of guys that were camped in the same area that they limited out with 2 more bulls and left 4 days ago, meanwhile some one in there group shot a cow the night before right behind there camp at the trail head!!!!!!
Needless to say when I go back I think my plan is going to be to hunt multiple spots with in 3 miles from the road and be back at camp every night, as others have said, you dont need to be out in the middle of no where to kill an Elk, plenty are killed from truck camps every year. When you back pack in you really put all your chips into that spot which you have never been to and have no idea what to expect, needless to say which every you choose ELK are where you find them!!!!
Also, you have no idea how big Western hunting is, I recall looking at maps at home saying I will go here, then there, then over there, dip down here ,climb up there......that plan quickly went out the door the moment you realize that it takes you hours to make your way down and back up, try not loose to much elevation once you make it, its hard to recover it back LOL.

Did my first solo DIY archery Elk hunt in Idaho, last September. Let me just say, someone from the East (sea level) will never be in the shape needed to really kill the mountains, you can't really compare the elevation gain anywhere near here, so do the best you can to prepare. I spent many a weekend hiking various mountains in Northern NJ and near by NY with a 50 lb. pack, stair climber 3x a week, squats/dead lifts and in the end of the day the first day hiking up 800 vertical feet my lungs were on FIRE!!!! and I was only at 9000 ft!!!! It took me about a day to get used to the elevation and after that I really had not issues, the name of the game is slow and steady, one foot in front of the other.
It took me 2 years to prepare for this hunt, most of the time spent was on researching and acquiring gear. Here is what I think is the most important!!!!!!
Sleeping Bag - I got a nice ultra light REI bag that was supposed to be rated for 20 degrees, that was a bunch of BS. 3rd week of September this year in Idaho was unseasonably cold, snow/sleet/rain was the name of the game and nights dipped into the low 20's and teens. I froze my ass off, I literally wore all of my cloths and that was not enough. The good thing about REI is you can return your crap, since then I bought a 20 degree Kifaru Slick bag.
Trekking Poles save your knees, you can get cheep ones, I ended up with Leki carbon poles, I LOVE THIS PIECE OF GEAR.
Boots - I have Salomon GTX I found them on sale for 50% off, they worked great, what ever you go with boots will either break or make your trip
Pack - Its on you the entire trip, I have a Kifaru and its sick. What a pleasure to wear.
Delorme InReach - Little to no cell service, I was able to get a bar or 2 once I was up on some peaks, other then that no service, this little device provided my wife and family with a piece of mind to track and communicate with the outside world
First Aid Kit - I went crazy this year I will be trimming it down.
Water Filter - Sawyer Squeeze had no problems.
If you have any questions PM me we can chat if you like.